


Wixflix and Chill: A Relapse

by zalil



Series: Wixflix and Chill [1]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Anal Sex, Auror Harry Potter, Blow Jobs, Crime Show Watching in Comfy Clothes, Heartbreak, M/M, Post-Break Up, but they love each other really, harry is a Gryffindor
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-08
Updated: 2020-09-08
Packaged: 2021-03-06 16:14:51
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,004
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26361742
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/zalil/pseuds/zalil
Summary: It's for the best that Harry let Severus leave. Their love was passionate, but fiery enough to hurt both of them. When Harry sees Severus at a Ministry function a few months after their break-up, he remembers how much he misses him. And takes a leap.
Relationships: Harry Potter/Severus Snape
Series: Wixflix and Chill [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2053035
Comments: 24
Kudos: 174





	Wixflix and Chill: A Relapse

**Author's Note:**

> Cheers to my lovely friend [LikeLightInGlass](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Likelightinglass/pseuds/Likelightinglass) for being a wonderful cheerleader. Also, big thanks to [LimegreenBowlerhat](https://archiveofourown.org/users/LimegreenBowlerhat/pseuds/LimegreenBowlerhat) and [Acid](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Acid/pseuds/ac1d6urn) for making sure the grammar in this is spot on.
> 
> If you like it, leave the love. You know how it works.

Harry Floos into the Ministry perfectly on time for whatever evening thing they're hosting. He isn't quite sure what the occasion is, since Ron, who has his invitation, isn't here. The big traitor is staying home with Hermione (who's barfing her brains out, for some reason) and not even sorry to let Harry attend the party on his own. 

Harry knows enough people not to be uncomfortable, but there's no one here yet he'd like to have a chat with. He spots Percy on the other end of the hall, deep in discussion with a witch Harry doesn't recognise. Arthur is nowhere to be seen, but will probably be along too. As Harry walks past Cathy from the front desk, she is trying to catch his eye, but he keeps going – she just wants to gossip about the Auror department again and he's not in the mood.

He tugs on the collar of his shirt. Even though he hasn't grown up with Wizarding tradition and still thinks Draco is a poncy git, he agrees with him on resenting the new trend of Muggle evening wear that is slowly taking over the British Wizarding community. Although Kingsley in a suit is a sight to behold. Harry has to consciously hold back from leaning to the side and watching him walk past when he appears on the floor. Instead, he goes and gets a drink from the bar. 

Stepping away with his soda, he notices a group of Ministry interns shuffling around like a hoard of skittish foals, whispering about whether to approach him. Before they can make their move, he goes to say hello to Percy, who greets him very formally for someone who has been family for so long, and introduces him to a tall witch in a colourful robe who has portkeyed in from the USA for the event.

"Harry," Kingsley's hand descends on his shoulder before he can get more than a few sentences in with the American. "Can I borrow you for a moment?"

Kingsley looks tired, as he usually does, these days. Finally, years and years after the Second War, the last trials are being prepared, which is an administrative nightmare for all personnel involved. When Harry is coming in for his weekend shifts, he often sees a mug of coffee floating to Kingsley's office and knows he's working late.

"We're nearly done with the preliminary paperwork," Kingsley sighs when they've found a poser table to themselves. "Jess has done her very best anchoring the bills of indictment on evidence like wandwork analysis instead of testimony, but I'm afraid we won't be able to keep you out of it completely. You'll be called to testify in a few select cases."

Harry nods. He has known the time would come, he used to talk about it with Severus sometimes—about what he can contribute to the trial, how he should act concerning Dumbledore's death (which he can't honestly deny was Severus' doing, even if it was for the greater good) and how it would look if Harry testified in his favour. 

He hates standing in court, due to his own unfavourable experiences as a teenager, and the more recent ones as an Auror. Like most of the other Aurors, he's had to justify some of his actions on duty in front of the Wizengamot. He's been cleared of all charges both times, as Hermione told him he would be, but that still doesn't make them pleasurable experiences. 

This time, though, he won't be the accused and glad to be kept in the loop concerning Severus' and some of Harry's classmates' expected sentences. 

Kingsley is visibly relieved when Harry tells him he'll come. He doesn't mention Severus—Harry guesses it's because he doesn't like to talk about his private life at work, so nobody knows whether Severus is a touchy subject for him. He knows their break-up made it into the Prophet, but since Severus and he haven't been reading the Prophet for years, he doesn't know how bad it was supposed to be. 

It was bad for Harry, all right, but not in the way the Prophet probably painted it. 

They were as passionate in their fighting as they were in bed. Which, in the case of sex, was spectacular, but not so much in the discussion of how to spend their evenings. Or weekends. Or holidays. Now, a few months after the horrible evening Severus packed the few things he had at Grimmauld place and left without another word, Harry could admit that maybe it wasn't Severus' fault alone. While he had been reclusive and cantankerous, Harry had been sociable and pushing him to share in that—for his own good, he didn't have any close friends or family. Also, everybody loved Molly's cooking and it wasn't as if Severus didn't know the Weasleys, they had been in the Order together, so why was it a problem to spend one afternoon a month at the Burrow? And what was the harm of Harry going out with his Auror mates for a few pints now and again? 

When the subject mattered to him, Severus was cold in his fighting. No hexes, no fisticuffs, but hard looks and icy silences for Harry and if there is one thing Harry can't abide, it is coldness from his partner. He knows Severus liked him, he must have, he's not a man who does things he doesn't want to do, but he rarely felt it when they fought, in the end.

Letting Severus go was the mature thing, probably, even if it made Harry cry his eyes out afterwards for a lot longer than he likes to admit to other people.

As the Wizarding community is a pretty small one, all in all, it hasn't taken long after the break-up for him to see Severus again. There isn't much alternative to shopping in Diagon and since Severus still hasn't had his trial, he's building up a social environment that, according to Hermione's research on Wizarding law, counts as a protective factor towards future delinquency and can thus be considered in mitigation for his sentence. Consequently, he's bound to go to some official events. The first few times they met after the break-up, Severus was standoffish and hostile while Harry tried to act naturally and failed so abysmally that people noticed and even Severus rolled his eyes. 

That Severus was behaving like he was waiting for Harry to give interviews about their relationship, talk badly about him among their circle of acquaintances or start shouting matches when they met, hurt. The carefully polite behaviour that emerged after some time, Harry hated even more. Now, after several meetings of mostly avoiding each other, they're back to nodding acquaintance territory.

So Harry's guts no longer turn over when he spots him across the room, but they do give a little jump. Kingsley goes to welcome guests, leaving Harry alone at his table. He sees a bunch of ladies he knows shop at the little store Severus is allowed to manage, if not legally own, approach Severus. Harry guesses he will tolerate them for a few minutes for his financial security's sake, then lose his temper and insult them terribly to make them leave him alone. 

Harry chalks it up to his hero complex that he walks over to Severus, determined to rescue him from his social obligations. It's, of course, far more stupid a move on a psychological level, he knows that, but he leaves the introspective stuff to Hermione. 

"Good evening, Severus," he says solemnly, admiring his suit. It's new and fits him well and Harry is equally impressed as worried about how he was able to afford it.

Severus seems taken aback that Harry's approaching him, but catches himself quickly.

"Mister Potter," he says, "a pleasure." 

The way he says it is so neutral, Harry could have been a total stranger. It makes Harry nervous and he has to hold back from scratching the back of his head. The ladies are watching avidly, trying to find out what's going on between them. Harry uses their attentive silence to plan their exit. 

"Care for a drink?" he asks, looking towards the bar and giving Severus the opportunity to escape the ladies' clutches, if he so desires. 

Severus inclines his head a fraction, as he usually does when pondering an especially complex problem. Harry smells his cologne—also new, he notices—and wonders why Severus could be bothered to go and buy some. Things like that aren't usually important to him. Does that mean he has put himself on the market again? Or was it as a gift from someone?

When Severus takes a little longer to respond to Harry's offer than he usually would, Harry pushes the thought of the lurking interns and his own rescue to the front of his mind and catches his eyes. He knows Severus is scanning him for his intentions, so it might put his mind at ease to know what Harry's getting out of it. Besides, Severus likes to be the saviour rather than the damsel in distress.

"Of course," Severus replies after a moment. With a charming "Excuse me, ladies," over his shoulder, he strides towards the bar alongside Harry. Harry notices with a pang of regret that he's overly careful not to touch him. Although not openly affectionate, Severus used to take him by the arm or put a hand on the small of his back when walking somewhere together. 

Severus orders ginger ale and Harry asks for a refill of his soda, which gets a twitch of an eyebrow but no comment from Severus. It's no longer his business whether Harry has found a grain of truth in his critique of Harry's drinking habits (even though the delivery was harsh and the emotional baggage attached belonged to his father, not to Harry).

In the spirit of deception, they walk a bit to a less crowded corner. When Harry casts a quick Muffliato for privacy, he can see Severus tense up.

"No reason," Harry quickly says. "Just wanted to say hello without being on the front page again."

Severus nods and relaxes a little.

"Thank you for the noble rescue mission," he says. "Though I might have been able to fend them off, if hard pressed."

His tone is ironical, but not hostile. Harry recognizes it as testing the waters.

"I didn't want you to lose regular, high paying customers due to their early death," Harry tries a little joke and is rewarded with an eye roll. "Well, relatively early. How are you?" 

Harry does want to know. Apart from greetings, they haven't been speaking in the last months.

"Splendid," Severus says blandly, because he really doesn't want to divulge his feelings to an ex-partner, Harry guesses. "And yourself?"

"Same," Harry answers in kind, as if he didn't still have evenings of staring into the fireplace, wondering in misery how exactly he has botched up their relationship and why he wasn't enough for Severus to stay. Two can play that game.

"How is young Edward?" Severus asks and that's enough to get Harry started on talking about his beloved godson. Apparently two can't play that game, but Harry has the impression that Severus really does care about Teddy and is interested, so he doesn't hold back information. When he is sure Severus has heard more about the boy than he has ever felt the need to know, they descend into silence. The collar itches again and Harry finds it even harder not to tug on it under Severus' gaze. Instead he runs his fingers through the water gathering on the cool outside of his glass.

"And the shop? Did you get that assistant you wanted?" Harry asks before Severus realises the ladies have found another victim and runs off.

"I had several assistants, none of which were able to correctly execute even the simplest tasks I set them. I manage fine on my own."

He turns his nose up. Harry represses a fond smile at the memory of Severus bossing him around in the shop and is in no way surprised at the outcome of the hiring process.

"How is the Auror office?" Severus asks, stilted, which he has never done before, not even when they were together, and Harry realizes he's trying to make an effort to be nice. 

"Good," he answers quickly. "Busy, you know how it is."

Severus nods and Harry tells him about the impending trials. He's already informed by his lawyer, a clever, seemingly harmless woman called Miller who looks like a housewife but is supposed to be even more successful in court for it.

"Kingsley will see to it that it's as much of a fair trial as it can be," Harry says. "He said you can choose from the Wizengamot's jury, so you won't have too many prejudiced people in there."

"Wizengamot jury," Severus snorts. "More like Wizengamot _in_ jury," he mutters, but doesn't argue.

"And my testimony will look more sincere, now that we're not… you know."

Severus gives no indication he has heard him. 

"Miller is quite sure the preparations are as thorough as they can be. She will try to seize Miss Granger's suggestions to the Wizengamot concerning alternatives to imprisonment. They are in all likelihood too forward to be considered by the jury, but appreciated."

Harry didn't know Hermione was still in contact with Severus. It's good to hear.

After a surprisingly long time, a giggle from not too far away reminds Harry of the interns. They're hard to deter. He hasn't talked to them a lot, so they're still starstruck and rely more on their own fantasy and the Prophet's information than actual interaction to build their picture of him. That both genders of fans are after him is something Severus has always seen as a threat—all the more reason to cheat since there's something he can't give him—even though Harry has reassured him a thousand times that's not how being bi works.

Severus absently runs a hand through his hair. It has gotten a little more streaked with silver since Harry last saw him. It suits him.

"It's good to talk to you," Harry says and finds he means it. Sure, their history makes conversation a floor of lava with very little safe ground to step on, but at least Severus doesn't treat him like an active volcano any more. And only now that they're talking halfway normally again, Harry realizes how much he has missed him. It hits him like a punch to the gut.

"The conversation is… tolerable," Severus says and the way his eyebrows lift a little almost makes Harry sigh in relief. 

"You smell different," he says, noticing how inappropriate his comment is only after it's out of his mouth. Apparently Severus is really bad for his common sense, but in an entirely new way. It’s more than a little ironic, considering their history. Severus doesn't lash out at him for his blunder, though. His cheeks redden a little and, with a jolt, Harry suddenly realises why he has approached Severus in his 'rescue mission'.

"Do you have plans for later?"

He doesn't exactly know why he's asking, what his subconscious is planning, but he knows he's aching for Severus, for his voice and his familiar touch.

"Excuse me?"

Severus looks as if he's trying to convince himself he has misheard. It might be a spectacularly bad idea, but now Harry's thought of it, he can't not ask.

"Would you like to come over for coffee?" he asks, fighting back a blush. They've hardly been shy with each other before, but this situation is new and he doesn't want to make their relationship worse than it is at the moment. Also, there's still the not-so-slight possibility that Severus will hex him into next year for asking.

"Coffee?" Severus asks silkily and Harry notices with a thrill that he hasn't stormed off in a huff yet, despite clearly getting his drift.

"Coffee… or, as young people call it, Wixflix and Chill?" Harry picks up a running joke from before. He looks up at him. "For old times' sake? Unless, there is someone—I mean, I just assumed there wasn't, but-" 

Harry hears himself talking and making it worse, but he doesn't know how to stop until Severus inclines his head and gives him the eyebrow. By the way he reacts, not immediately declining, Harry knows there is no one else; Severus is nothing if not fiercely loyal. It makes his belly flood with relief.

"Do you think that is a wise idea?" Severus asks, crossing his arms in front of his chest. 

"Probably not, but have you met me? I'm not exactly known for my wise ideas." He tries for a smile that is in all likelihood too nervous to be charming, but for some reason, Severus bites. 

"For old times' sake," he repeats and looks a little lost, uncharacteristically. "You'll be the death of me yet, Potter."

Harry smiles and leads the way to the exit. Outside, he extends his arm and, when Severus takes it, side-alongs him to Grimmauld Place. It's a mess, since he hasn't been expecting visitors, and even though he's sure Severus won't care, he's a bit embarrassed.

Severus clears his throat and indicates the way to the guest bathroom.

"May I?"

The fact that Severus feels like he needs to ask for something so trivial when he's been living here before makes something small and precious in Harry crack a little.

"Course," he hurries to answer, voice husky.

When Severus has gone, he takes off his jacket, toes off his shoes and ponders whether to use the other bathroom himself. The thought of Severus returning to find him gone and rethink this idea makes him stay and use a quick cleaning charm.

Coming back, Severus wears a determined expression and Harry realises he needn't have worried. Severus has already lost his jacket and is rolling up the sleeves of his shirt. He knows how much the lean muscles on his arms turn Harry on, especially in a proper shirt, so Harry can't quite believe it's a coincidence he has decided to show them off now.

Severus opens his mouth as if to say something, but before he's got the chance, he has an armful of Harry and a set of lips on his, so instead of talking, he kisses Harry back fiercely. It's passionate and demanding and just what Harry needs to overcome that moment of sentimentality. Severus wastes no time seeking for Harry's tongue with his, deepening the kiss. At the brush of their tongues, a spark of pleasure shoots down Harry's body and he hears himself make soft little noises into Severus' mouth. Severus' hands are coming around him, sneaking down his back to his arse and squeezing and it's invitation enough to slip his own hand into Severus' shirt and find the smooth skin of his chest.

"Can I suck you off?" Harry asks breathlessly when Severus gives him a chance to talk. The burning look he receives in return is answer enough. He's captured in a kiss once more and walked back until his legs hit the couch and he falls down softly. Severus sits gracefully, in contrast, and when he leans back, face flushed and shirt falling open, he is a vision of pure sex.

"This," Severus says, lifting his hand to run his thumb across Harry's bottom lip in a gentle gesture, "is an exceedingly bad idea."

His tone suggests that he is resigned to go along with it all the same. 

Harry waits for him to open his dress trousers and free his cock, then sinks down onto his knees in front of him. This time, his brain thankfully censors his thoughts before he can do something imbecilic like tell Severus' cock that he missed it terribly. 

He's out of practice and it takes a few trials and errors until he's able to take him fully into his mouth, but when he's got it, he basks in the feeling of Severus' heavy length on his tongue, sliding over his lips. He realizes then and there that he's gone far too long without seeing Severus' eyes flutter almost shut, enjoying the feeling but wanting to see Harry's lips stretched around his cock. Harry opens his eyes wide when he takes him in deep and is rewarded with a rough groan coming from Severus. 

"Fuck, Harry," Severus says and lets his head fall back, and the way he's finally saying his name goes straight to Harry's cock, reminding him that he's hard and straining against his dress trousers, and he quickly undoes them while keeping up the movement of his mouth. His hand curls around himself and he gives a few tugs, but it's not nearly enough, especially when he's got Severus laid out in front of him like this.

He tightens his lips around Severus in the way he knows he likes, then slowly and noisily pulls off. He wipes his mouth with the sleeve of his shirt while slowly stroking himself. He's ready for more if Severus is. Before, he's never had to ask, but now, he thinks he'd better make sure.

"Do you want to fuck me?" Harry asks and Severus' cock twitches in reply. 

"Yes," Severus says, dark eyes burning into Harry's. "Yes, I'd like that."

"Shall we-" he looks up towards the bedroom, but Severus jerks his head to the side in a way Harry recognises as a hard no. 

"The couch will do."

"Yeah," Harry says, "sorry."

His bedroom – formerly their bedroom – probably holds too many memories.

With a wave of Harry's hand, the lube comes flying and slaps into his palm. He doesn't know the proper etiquette for hook ups with ex-lovers, but he supposes the time has passed for Severus taking his time fingering him open and staring into his eyes while he's squirming and trying not to be too loud (Severus always wants him loud), so he shucks the rest of his clothes, sits on the other end of the couch and leans back to prepare himself.

He gets almost self-conscious, were it not for the obvious signs that Severus is enjoying himself. His hand is curled loosely around his cock, moving slowly up and down the flushed, erect length as he watches.

He bites his lip when Harry groans from the stretch. The closer Harry gets to his goal, the harder it is to follow through and not just move on to the next item on the agenda without sufficient prep, so he stretches himself just enough to be sure he won't be _too_ sore the next day and moves over to Severus, who is already flushed and dripping precome.

Severus holds himself steady as Harry straddles him and sinks down slowly. He is quite large and it's been some time since Harry has had sex (Severus was the last one, he's never had the heart to take anyone else home), and the prep was a bit shoddy, so it aches and his thighs tremble from the strain of keeping himself up and going slowly.

When he's almost all the way down, moaning quietly with a little pain and a lot of pleasure, Severus rocks up into him and the sudden hurt is almost enough to make him jump off, but he pushes through it and manages to relax. For a long time, he slowly rocks forwards and back, gyrating his hips to hit all his good spots, eyes locked with Severus'. In his position, he feels exposed, even more so since Severus is still in trousers and shirt, and it's turning him on. Knowing Severus finds him attractive is a bonus. He sucks on his fingers to get them wet and runs them over his own chest, making sure to catch Severus' gaze when he touches a hard nipple and jerks on his cock in reaction to the sensation. He does that another time, then Severus grips his hips tightly and rolls them over. 

He pushes Harry's legs up and enters him again, setting a faster pace. Harry pretty much has his own knees in his face, nowhere to put his hands and no space to touch his own erection and it shouldn't be comfortable, but it's heaven. Severus' fingers find their way into his mouth and he sucks hungrily. The thrusts come hard and fast and the way Harry's cock slaps against his belly in time with them makes it perfect.

"Look at me," Severus demands. 

Harry does and blushes under Severus' intense scrutiny, reminded of the picture he makes, on his back, cock in his arse, sucking on his fingers. He's been close since Severus has turned him over and the attention on him is too much now, he's shaking and coming in long spurts between them, not holding back on his moans since he knows how much Severus likes to hear him.

At last, the fingers leave his mouth and Severus pulls out of him, lets him stretch his legs and pats his thigh to make him turn over. When Harry has rolled onto his stomach, he lies on top of him, spreading Harry's legs with his, and slowly slides into him again. He's light enough that his weight is a comfort rather than a burden and the position allows him to rock into Harry deeply.

"Fuck, Sev, yes...," Harry whispers. The tight slide of Severus' cock on his already oversensitive skin is exquisite and he shudders from the intensity of it.

"Harry," Severus groans, thrusts becoming faster, then turning into little jerks as he's coming inside him. He rides out the waves for a long time, then falls still, draped across Harry's back. His lips touch Harry's back in what could be a kiss.

Before long, Severus pulls back, hands gliding along Harry's sides in a firm caress, and lets him turn over. He reclines on the other end of the couch, sweaty and flushed, and, surprisingly, makes no move to jump up and dash off, as Harry has feared. 

The afterglow has made Harry's mind sluggish and dazed and reality pours back slowly. He feels come trickling out of his arse and wonders how much (if any) cuddling is appropriate in their situation and whether he ought to offer Severus something to drink right away when an arm is stretched out. It could be just for stretching the muscles but Severus leaves hardly anything to chance, so it's more likely to be a cautious invitation. Harry's on the other end of the couch and in Severus' arms in a heartbeat. They stick together in a mess of spit and come and sweat and everything is perfect, as long as Harry doesn't think about the fleetingness of the moment.

He finds a drop of sweat gathering on Severus' chest and watches it grow, then threaten to break into a trickle. Before it can, he catches it on his finger and rubs it into Severus' skin.

"Missed you," he mumbles into his side, head tucked underneath Severus', not sure whether he wants him to hear.

"Hmmm," Severus replies, stroking Harry's arm in time with his breathing.

They stay like that for a few minutes, then Harry slowly and reluctantly untangles himself and sits up. The moment of passion has passed and Severus looks guarded again, but only as much as is possible in his state of undress.

"So, what about that coffee?" Harry asks, steeling himself for Severus turning it down.

Severus pulls his briefs up, then starts on the trousers. 

"I rather think I should be going," he says. 

Harry bends over the couch to rummage for his wand. When he finds it, he casts another cleaning spell on himself to be able to move without dripping.

"Alright," Harry says, he has learned to accept Severus' decisions. But that doesn't mean he can't offer an alternative. "Or you could stay a bit for the actual Wixflix and Chill, there are new episodes of ou- of the crime show."

Severus likes watching Muggle crime shows and asserting his intellectual superiority over the investigators and Harry likes watching him do it. 

Severus sighs and runs his hand through his hair.

"Harry, what do you hope to gain from this?"

He is remarkably calm and his voice holds neither accusation nor complaint, but Harry knows him enough to hear apprehension.

"Nothing!" he says reflexively, then thinks about it. It's not quite true after all. "Just an evening of... companionship."

"Where is this supposed to lead?" Severus stays insistent.

"Does it have to lead somewhere? Have a deeper meaning?" Harry counters. "Can't it just be nice to watch TV together and not worry about anything?"

Severus purses his lips. "Acting without planning ahead is the core competence of Gryffindors, I suppose, but that doesn't mean the rest of us want to blunder through their lives in the same way."

Jokes about house affiliations are a good sign, usually. Harry notices he has let Severus goad him into justifying himself again instead of focusing on him.

"Where do you want this to lead?" he asks, changing tactics and noticing with satisfaction that the question shuts Severus up nicely for a few seconds.

"I did not say I wanted it to lead anywhere," he says defensively.

"I know," Harry says. "I'm asking."

He shivers a little, aware that he's still stark naked and Severus fully dressed again, but he's reluctant to stand up and give Severus the prompt to run off. 

"I was just pointing out that there may be conflicting objectives between us."

That's a pretty complicated way of saying he doesn't want Harry getting his hopes up for more than a fuck and an evening on the couch together, Harry thinks, but he'll take it.

"No objective, just blundering," he says.

That Severus is still here and hardly protesting any more is a good sign for him waiting to be persuaded to stay, so Harry decides to stick to the original plan of Wixflix and Chill. Severus is old enough to refuse if he really doesn't want to stay.

"Want to take a shower?" he asks, getting up and sending his clothes to the washing with a flick of his wand. "I'll get the comfy pants and the snacks."

When Severus hesitates, he summons a bath towel from the cupboard, hands it to him and is rewarded with a look that is rather stern coming from someone who has only just put his cock back into his pants.

"You are aware that we will have to talk about this at some point?"

"Yes," Harry answers, planning on ignoring it as long as he can and starts for his bedroom to get a quick shower himself and fetch the comfy clothes.

Still anxious that Severus might change his mind, he manages to shower in under a minute and is back downstairs before water has stopped running in the other bathroom. He is wearing a loose fitting T-shirt and joggers already and levitates a similar outfit into the bathroom for Severus.

When Severus comes out, the sight of him wearing Harry's clothes makes Harry's stomach jump a little. Maybe it's because he's aware that he's one of very, very few people in the world Severus allows to see him like this. And maybe while that's true, it being the reason for his stomach jumping is bullshit, and he's not as much over their break-up as he would like to pretend.

Harry has set up the crime show on the magical screen that passes for a TV in the Wizarding world and summoned bowls, spoons, milk and Weetabix. He lifts the blanket for Severus to slide under and catches him up on what happened since they last watched together, how the boss of the investigating team is sleeping at the office because she was caught cheating with a call boy and how her second-in-command (who's really the boss in everything but name) was contacted by his arch-enemy, the killer of his family, again.

Severus seems to have trouble relaxing at first, but when Harry starts the episode and thrusts a bowl into his hands, he takes it and eats and gradually, his posture loses its tension. Halfway through, Harry pauses to get drinks and they get into a playful argument about who the killer is. As the show progresses, Harry has to admit that Severus' theory is getting more likely by the minute, but he doesn't mind as he is more focused on sneaking his feet onto Severus' lap than on the movie.

One episode turns into two and Harry could have stayed like this forever, watching crime show after crime show, gradually inching closer until he's snuggling up to Severus, but after the second episode Severus floats his bowl and glass to the kitchen and Harry knows he's going home.

He stands, fussing about with the blanket, and tells Severus he can keep the clothes for the journey home, of course, but Severus stares at him blankly until Harry realises; he has to leave the building to Apparate outside Harry's wards because his Floo is closed to Harry's.

When Severus is back in his suit, not a hair is out of place and nothing about him gives any indication of their activities of the evening.

Harry walks him to the door in silence. There's nothing to say that doesn't sound cheesy. 

"Thank you," Severus says stiffly and Harry understands it's for the food and clothes and not for the sex, but still, it sounds horribly out of place. He gathers all his courage and steps closer.

"Look, I know I'm blundering again, and tell me if I'm wrong, but I had a really good feeling about this and it's been… nice."

He makes a face. _Nice_ sounds as horrible as Severus' thanks. And it wasn't horrible, quite the contrary. Having Severus back on his couch, comfortably watching TV together made him feel like coming home to tea and a bubble bath after a long day out in the cold rain.

"More than nice," he amends. "Wasn't it?" 

Severus closes his eyes, sighs and nods.

"Conflicting objectives, Potter," he reminds him and Harry realizes it might not be him Severus is worried about getting hurt. Knowing there's a chance Severus might still have feelings for him makes him more careful as well as more confident.

"So… we should talk about this, you said?" he says innocently. "Sunday morning work for you? Hermione says there's a new coffee shop just off Artistic Alley that serves the best coffee around, something about special Liberica beans."

Severus' gaze is cool and calculating. 

"I'm not interested in a convenient arrangement," he says, a hard edge creeping into his words.

Harry holds his gaze. 

"Nor am I."

Severus nods tersely. 

"Nine o'clock. I've got brewing to tend to, afterwards."

Harry is cheering internally, and by the way Severus' features immediately slide into an expression of concern, he's not hiding it very well.

"Just to talk, this time," Severus insists, but that doesn't curb Harry's joy.

"Just to talk," Harry repeats softly. "I'll owl you the address."

He pulls Severus closer by his lapel and touches his lips to his cheeks in a chaste kiss goodbye. 

"See you," he says and Severus nods and blinks out of existence.

When he gets back to the couch, Harry collects the clothes Severus has worn and saves them from Kreacher's washing regime. Fat chance he'll let him wash Severus' scent out of those. When he looks at the couch, he thinks back to the sex and to how it was fantastic, but not even the thing he liked best about this evening.

His steps up the stairs to the bedroom have a little more jump to them than usually. They've both grown a little in the time they spent apart. Maybe it's enough.

Harry has a really good feeling about this.


End file.
